


Wind of Change

by DeandraAlleyan



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Pre-Battle of Scarif
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 06:11:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18515515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeandraAlleyan/pseuds/DeandraAlleyan
Summary: Bodhi wanted to get right by himself, but his efforts took him on paths that he never expected.  Until now, the winds of life had blown him every which way.  It was time to stand on his feet and choose his own destiny.  Complete in 2 chapters.





	1. Wind of Change 1

Chapter 1

Hesitantly, Bodhi stepped into the hall, glancing both directions before moving. He was pretty sure going right would take him toward the hangar. The trouble was, he didn’t know where he wanted to go in particular.

Cassian had gone off to report to his commanding officer almost as soon as they landed. The Captain had asked another man, a pilot named Wedge, to see them all settled. That was half an hour ago, and he hadn’t seen the others since then. He suspected most of them were taking advantage of a bed and catching up on missed sleep. But he was too…restless for that. Granted, the room, though small, was a dramatic improvement from the cell he had at Saw’s hideout.

He mentally veered away from thinking about that place, or what had happened there. Maybe if he could find something to eat, it would help him relax enough to sleep. He struck off to his right and after winding through several corridors, found himself in the hangar. Not where he intended to go, but at least it looked familiar. He didn’t see anyone he recognized, and he might have asked for directions except that everyone who looked his way… Maybe they didn’t say anything, but they saw an Imperial pilot. Whether they knew he had defected or not, whether they believed he had or not, there wasn’t an outpouring of welcome coming from any of them.

Well, he could stand here all day, lost, or he could wander aimlessly and hope for the best, or he could screw up his courage and speak to someone. It took several minutes to find a face that seemed marginally friendly – or at least not too hostile – and approach the woman. She eyed him up and down twice before reluctantly replying to his question.

“If you go over there, around the X-wing they’re working on” – she pointed to it – “you’ll…” She stopped, reconsidered and then said instead, “I’d better take you there. So you don’t get lost.”

Her tone suggested she meant ‘wander’ rather than ‘lost’. He tried to ignore the implication that she considered him untrustworthy. Likely he’d have to get used to it. “Thanks..uh, thanks. I..I appreciate your help.”

She looked him over again, but merely said, “Yeah.”

She turned and walked off, apparently assuming he’d follow. It was clear she didn’t intend to walk beside him as a friend and hold a conversation. He suppressed a sigh and trailed after her. As it was, she didn’t even take him all the way there. Maybe she didn’t want to be seen with him, appearing to socialize.

“Down there, end of the hall.” She pointed toward a set of double doors.

“Thank..thank you. I appreciate your help.” He winced. He’d already said that earlier; he was babbling. She turned and left without saying anything more.

Slowly he continued on, hoping most would have already eaten and left so that the room wouldn’t be crowded. When he reached the doors, he came to a stop, unable or unwilling to go inside. At least three people left while he stood there, giving him suspicious looks before moving on.

Well, it couldn’t be much more awkward in there than standing out here. He pushed open the door and entered, slipping in and to the right of the door to stand along the wall and look around. He was in luck – it wasn’t crowded. For several minutes, he looked over the setup and room occupants. Only at the last did he glimpse someone sitting alone off in a corner. Jyn.

The giddy sense of relief he experienced was rather comical, if anyone else had known of it. Still, he didn’t feel much like laughing. Forgoing food for the moment, he weaved around tables in her direction.

Not until he had almost reached her did she glance up and notice him. A faint smile slid over her face, giving him encouragement to join her.

When first he sat down, neither spoke, but feeling awkward, he decided to attempt conversation. “I..I thought you might be..be sleeping.”

She shook her head. “Maybe in a little while. There’s too much on my mind right now.” She held up a cup of caf. “Besides, I was hungry. When I finish this, I’ll check out what they have to eat. Can’t be any worse than prison food or ration bars, though.”

He wasn’t inclined to tell her that he hadn’t eaten in three days except for the ration bars on the flight.

“Are you okay?” She was studying him thoughtfully.

“Yeah..yeah, sure.” Likely the stammer and the quaver in his voice weren’t very convincing of his words. He shivered, involuntarily remembering the feel of the tentacles…

“Not sure I believe that.”

Her eyes were sympathetic, understanding, and before he could check the impulse, he told her, “I just keep thinking about..about…at Saw’s and everything…” She looked more closely at him and he added in a whisper, “Bor Gullet.”

Jyn reached out and silently clasped his hand in hers. After several minutes, she said tightly, “I’m sorry about that. My father wouldn’t have known how paranoid Saw had become since last he saw him. But he probably thought sending you to an old friend was safer than sending you to the Alliance as a messenger of an Imperial scientist. Some of Saw’s methods… I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

He managed a weak smile. He hadn’t been seeking sympathy, but hearing it was somewhat comforting all the same.

“You hungry, too?” she asked, glancing toward the food laid out for personnel to claim at will.

“Yeah, I could eat.”

“Come on, then.” She rose and led the way.

Even though people still stared and hostility bubbled below the surface, being with Jyn was different from being alone. The way she carried herself with confidence made people keep their distance from her. Bodhi wondered if he might be able to cultivate that ability; somehow he doubted it.

The food workers eyed the two of them, but made no move to prevent them dishing up plates, though they did nothing to assist. When they had their food, Jyn marched to a table right in the middle of the room and plunked down. For a moment, he was alarmed at this display, but then he had to bite back a grin. Confident, indeed. He guessed this was her way of taking a stand, daring them to confront her. When he sat down across from her, she met his gaze and he saw the humor in her eyes. She knew exactly what she was doing, and was inviting him to share in it. Oddly enough, it boosted his confidence that she believed he was capable of such bravery.

They both ate in silence for several minutes. At length, though, she asked, “Did you know my father well?”

“Sort..sort of. They had me flying shuttles between Jedha and Eadu, delivering the kyber crystals, so I met him when the crystals were delivered. More and more he befriended me, I suppose to gain an ally to carry his message to Saw.”

She shook her head. “Not just that, I’m sure. Father might not have recognized evil in others so quickly as my mother, or been so determined to fight against it, but he wouldn’t have simply used someone. I’m sure he chose you because he saw potential in you, someone who had the courage to succeed at the task, but also would benefit from escaping the Empire’s oppression.”

Courage wasn’t a word that Bodhi could readily connect to himself. He had spent his entire life being a coward, doing whatever he was told by anyone even slightly bigger or stronger than he was. He was ashamed at the number of times he had almost changed his mind about defecting, almost turned back and kept to the safer course of serving the Empire. Maybe the only reason he hadn’t given up on it was seeing the Imperials threatening and harming the people on Jedha, his people. He had the chance to make a difference and maybe improve their lives, their situation. It hadn’t turned out so glorious a victory as he had imagined – torture by Saw and then the Empire’s destruction of the Holy City. Everyone he knew was pretty much gone. Not many Jedhans left the moon to live elsewhere. They would have been there, unsuspecting, when the Death Star struck. He only hoped it had been quick and fairly painless for most of them in the city itself.

“Where are you from?” Jyn asked, taking another bite of food.

He sharply drew in a breath at the question, and her brow knit with concern. Then she seemed to understand. “Jedha?”

He nodded. “I..I think that was part of the reason your father chose me. I was familiar with the city and the surrounding area, so he thought I had the best chance of escaping and finding Saw. I..I’m not sure how he knew Saw was there – he didn’t say.”

“Did you ever get to see your family when you picked up shipments on Jedha?”

He shook his head. “We were expected to stay near the shuttle while it was loading or unloading, and only allowed to be away from it when at Imperial facilities. I guess they wanted to keep a close eye on us. That’s one of the reasons I formed the friendship so readily with Galen. I missed my family.” He paused, then added quietly, “And I never got a chance to say goodbye. I hadn’t seen them in over three years…”

She looked up from staring at her plate. “Just remember this, Bodhi – what you did, what you’ve gone through is all toward preventing that happening to other cities or worlds or people. We couldn’t prevent that attack, but if there’s a way to stop this thing, we’ll do whatever it takes to accomplish it. Or I’ll die trying.”

Her jaw was set and he believed she meant every word. His back stiffened with resolve. “Me..me too.” Galen had made revenge possible; now they had only to follow through with it. Just like Galen, they might have to give their lives, but he would follow Jyn wherever she led, to whatever end. He had seen his home destroyed. He wanted a chance to fight back and punish the Empire.

Something inside him settled, calmed, and he began eating with more relish, yielding to his hunger. Neither spoke again until they were finished. They sat a while longer, enjoying another cup of caf, and then finally Jyn rose. “I suppose I should try to get some rest. You coming?”

He nodded and they dumped their trays before heading out. She had a better memory for how the base was laid out, though he had heard she was here once before, prior to coming to Jedha. He knew they had all been quartered in the same area, so he simply trailed along beside her, trusting her to lead the way. As they drew nearer to their rooms, however, his unease increased. He needed sleep, desperately, he knew that, but he also knew what he saw every time he closed his eyes. It was part of the reason he hadn’t slept more.

They reached his door first and he hesitated, eyeing it reluctantly. When he wasn’t thinking about things, about what he’d gone through, it was easy to contemplate sleep. Now that he was faced with climbing into a bed and actually attempting it, the prospect was more daunting.

Jyn was studying him again, though he tried to pretend not to notice. At length, she said, “Listen, I sometimes have bad dreams, and I sleep easier with someone else nearby. Would you mind if we hauled your mattress into my room while we sleep?”

He didn’t entirely believe her about needing someone there, certainly not him, but it did offer him hope of getting some rest. “O..okay. Sure.” He keyed open the door and they set to work piling the blankets and pillow on top of the mattress, and then together they dragged it down the hall two doors to her room.

“The rooms aren’t very big, but I’ll try not to get up and step on you.” She grinned, and he appreciated the teasing remark. He’d never shared a room with a woman before; he had no sisters or brothers. Sleeping in the barracks with the other shuttle pilots wasn’t the same. _Don’t make a big deal out of this_ , he reminded himself. _She’s trying to make this easier for you. Just accept it and don’t overthink it._

She rooted in a small closet and came out with some clean clothing. “Check your room, see if they left you something clean to wear. Guess we use the clean stuff to sleep in and then put our usual clothes back on.” He nodded and ducked back out the door.

He changed clothes in his room, too embarrassed at the thought of doing so in her room. She had a small ‘fresher he could have used, but it would still have felt awkward to him. Leaving his dirty pilot’s uniform there, he returned down the hall, knocking softly at her door. Probably she had left it unlocked, but there was no way he was just going to walk in unannounced.

When she opened the door, her mouth twitched, but she didn’t comment. He knew his face was red, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Each of them settled onto their respective beds, but he gazed in her direction. If she had been with Saw’s rebels at one time, he wondered how that had worked for her. He hadn’t seen many women among Saw’s group. Had she slept, and changed clothes, amongst the men? Oddly enough, a surge of protectiveness swept through him on her behalf. She wasn’t his sister or anything, but she was Galen’s daughter, and somehow it felt like he had a responsibility to look out for her.

Which was ridiculous considering she was probably better able to look out for him than vice versa. Still, if she ever did need him, he’d do everything in his power to be there for her. Maybe his family was truly gone now, but he would make a new family among his friends. He thought of Baze and Chirrut and felt certain he could indeed number them as friends, friends who would come to his aid if necessary. After he’d become an Imperial pilot, he had never really felt like he could count the others as friends. There was always a sense of either trying to outdo one another to gain the best advantages, or suspicions that anything you did might get reported by someone. Not until he met Galen had he felt like he again had a friend who actually cared about him. With those consoling thoughts, his eyes slipped shut and he slept.

The room was dark when Bodhi came awake, unsure what had awakened him. It wasn’t a bad dream, which surprised him, but something… He heard it again – a whimper. It was coming from Jyn. She’d said she sometimes had bad dreams; this must be one. But what should he do? Try to wake her? He’d seen soldiers wakened a time or two and they tended to come awake fast and deadly. Approaching her might be dangerous. On the other hand, he had just recently vowed to be there for her when she needed him, and this would certainly qualify.

He sat up. “Jyn?” No response came, but her distress was increasing. He stood and moved a little closer, speaking more loudly. “Jyn!”

With a gasp, she abruptly lurched upright calling out, “Father!”

He stumbled back, tripping and nearly falling on his mattress. His heart pounding, he hurried over and turned on the light.

Her eyes blinked rapidly in the brightness, confusion etched on her face. Then, slowly, she seemed to become aware of her surroundings. “Bodhi?”

“You..you had a bad dream, I think.”

She swiped a hand over her face and shivered. “Yeah.”

What now? He’d never had to comfort someone who’d had a nightmare, had no clue how to go about it. “Do..do you want to talk about it, or something…?”

She’d pulled her knees up and slumped over them, but looked up at him through her tangled mop of hair. “Nah. I don’t think that would help. Probably would just upset you, too. I was…remembering Papa’s death.”

He shifted nervously where he stood, then reached for the lone chair in the room and drew it near to sit in. “I..I know Cassian went up there to kill him, I was sure of it. But still I let him send me back to the ship – I didn’t try to stop him.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Bodhi. And I doubt you could have stopped him even if you tried. The man is trained to kill.”

“Yeah, but…but I don’t…I think he really was just following orders, but then he realized he couldn’t and that’s why he didn’t. Shoot, I mean.” He was babbling again, and making no sense. “I just mean…well, I think he means well. That he’s trying to do what’s right, even if sometimes it seems like the wrong thing to others.”

“I know.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t have said what I did to him. And I don’t think Papa wanted to stay a prisoner of the Empire any longer. This freed him, even if I wasn’t ready to let him go after just finding him again.”

“He never got over your mother’s death, or losing you,” Bodhi told her softly. “He would talk of both of you all the time. I..I think he liked having a friend who would listen to his ramblings. He didn’t..didn’t dare mention either of you to anyone else but..but me, I don’t think.”

She turned her head to the side, resting it on her arms on her knees and gazed at him for a long moment. “When they broke me out of the Imperial prison on Wobani and brought me here the first time, they asked if I knew where my father was. I told them I liked to think he was dead. That was true, you know? I preferred to think he was dead rather than an Imperial prisoner. Or that he…he could have come to get me but didn’t.”

“No, if he could have come, he would have. I’m sure of that,” Bodhi told her, and he was sure.

“Yeah, I know that now. It was just after all those years, I started to wonder. I even wondered if he actually was dead, if Krennic had killed him for some reason. For a long time, Saw became like a father to me.”

“Why did you leave Saw’s rebels, then?”

Her mouth twisted. “I didn’t leave them – they left me. I guess I understand why, now anyway. Saw explained it when we were on Jedha. He left me alone in a bunker, saying he would return, but he never did. I was sixteen then, and until Jedha I never knew why he had done it.”

Something inside him cringed. Having met Saw, he could believe the man capable of that, but still to abandon the girl at such a young age, leaving her to fend for herself. No wonder she’d ended up in an Imperial prison. She would have had to find some way to provide for herself, and likely none of the skills Saw might have taught would do much toward earning her an honest living. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. He meant it, though he knew it couldn’t possibly help any.

Even so, she smiled at him. “Thanks.” She stretched and then laid back down. “Sorry I woke you. Shall we try to sleep a little longer?”

He considered and glanced at the chronometer on the wall. “It’s nearing suppertime. Maybe we should go eat first, and see if the others are around. That might put us on a more normal sleep schedule to get through the night.”

She groaned, but sat up again. “You’re right.” She looked down ruefully at the clothing she wore. It was sleep rumpled but clean. “Shall we wear our ‘nightclothes’ to supper?”

He laughed. “I’m going to. In fact, I think I’ll try to wash out my uniform tonight and let it dry. So it’ll be at least a little cleaner.”

“Good idea.” She stood. She looked at the chrono. “Let’s do that and freshen up a little, then meet in maybe 20 minutes to go to supper?”

“Okay.” He stood also, putting the chair back where it had been, then glanced at his bedding.

She followed his gaze and said quietly, “It would be okay with me if you stayed here tonight, too. If you want. Maybe we’ll both sleep better.”

He relaxed slightly at her words, but still asked, “You..you’re sure?”

“Of course!” Her tone brooked no argument and he smiled in relief.

“See you in 20 minutes then.”

The small sinks in their ‘freshers were not intended for washing clothes, but Bodhi managed in spite of that. He’d been wearing that uniform nearly a week now. If he had a change of clothes, he might even destroy it just to be rid of the reminder.

Jyn’s door opened before he could knock and she stepped into the hall. They paused at Baze and Chirrut’s door, but when there was no answer, they continued on to the mess hall. It was more crowded this time, and many heads turned to stare at them, but Bodhi steeled himself not to cower. He didn’t want to embarrass Jyn. She marched them straight up to the food line and handed him a tray as they joined the queue. While they waited, he spent the time glancing furtively around the hall, hoping to find at least a couple of friendly faces amid the sea of distrust. His eyes landed on Baze and Chirrut, sitting alone off to the side, and he nudged Jyn. He gestured with a nod of his head toward them and after looking, she gave an acknowledging nod in return.

Their food obtained, Jyn led the way through the maze of tables to where the guardians sat. Baze hadn’t yet noticed them, but Chirrut piped up with a welcome. “Will you join us, friends? We were going to invite you to come when we headed in this direction, but thought you might be sleeping.”

Jyn answered for them. “We were, but woke, washed out our clothes and then headed here.”

“We stopped at your room first,” Bodhi added.

They fell to eating, but only five minutes later, a small group of officers sat down at a table not far from them. Bodhi quickly snuck a look at the others to see if they had noticed. They had – the other two were staring over at Cassian also. The Captain didn’t appear to have seen them, and was seated sideways to them so they wouldn’t readily be in his eye line. Almost as if there was a signal, the three of them looked at each other, though none voiced their thoughts.

Baze returned his attention to his meal and Bodhi followed his example, though he noticed Jyn continued to flick glances in Cassian’s direction. He suspected she wanted to apologize for her outburst on the ship, for the accusations, though probably she didn’t want to do it in front of his fellow officers. He had been keeping his distance from them – at least it seemed that way – all day. It was possible he considered himself done with them, having delivered them to the base.

It was too bad, really. Bodhi rather liked Cassian. He knew what he had done, but he just had a feeling he was a decent person trying hard, maybe too hard, to overthrow the Empire. He snuck another glance toward the Captain, and this time Cassian was looking their way – he had seen them. Bodhi couldn’t read his expression. It wasn’t unfriendly or hostile like so many others were, but it wasn’t friendly either. Jyn had said he was a spy and assassin. He supposed that meant the man had to be good at concealing his thoughts and not letting his expressions give him away. Somehow it just felt right that Cassian should come join them.

But he remained where he was, and returned his attention to his companions. Bodhi was itching to know what was going on, and Cassian was the only one on the base he might have dared ask. It was disappointing that everyone was leaving them in the dark. Probably that had to do with not trusting them. Well, not trusting him or Jyn. He didn’t think anyone had a problem with the two former guardians.

The four ate the rest of their meal in silence, but when they finished, no one seemed inclined to separate as yet.

“So tell me, Bodhi, how did you manage to escape the Empire? I am curious.”

Bodhi considered Chirrut’s question, not entirely sure he wanted to talk about it. But Baze appeared mildly interested also and Jyn was giving him encouraging looks.

“I was picking up a kyber shipment on Jedha. Shortly after I landed, I chanced to hear someone remark to someone else that there was a certain shuttle part they couldn’t keep in stock and it made it hard to keep the shuttles running on schedule when those broke. So I managed to sneak in and break the one on my ship. When they checked with the techs, to have it repaired, they learned there were no parts available. Then I told the stormtroopers that I had been instructed to hurry back with this shipment because there was some important person who wanted to see a demonstration and this shipment was necessary to do that. They didn’t want to get in bad with a superior officer who could make their lives miserable, so when I said I was from Jedha and knew someone in the city who might have the part, they agreed to let me go check. They did send a stormtrooper to accompany me, but I grew up on those streets and knew every twist and turn of alleyways and passages. I managed to give the trooper the slip and then concealed myself until I could make contact with someone I thought could get me to Saw’s rebels, and then to Saw. The rebels smuggled me out of the city with them.”

Each fell into their own thoughts for a couple of minutes, until Baze broke the silence. “Well, I’m going back to bed. So long as we’re here, we might as well take advantage of a comfortable place to sleep and plenty of food to eat.”

Jyn drank the last of her caf and rose. “Might as well join you. You coming, Bodhi?”

He nodded as he stood, sneaking another glance toward the officers. None were looking in their direction, but he was sure Cassian watched them from the corner of his eye. If he were braver, he’d go over and speak to the man, but the others were heading to drop off their trays and he followed them without finding the courage to act. At the door, he glimpsed Cassian watching them leave.

Back in Jyn’s room, they sat talking and he told her of the time he had spent with Galen. It was clear she was thirsty for any tidbits he could share. It was sad that she only knew her father as an adult by what others told her.


	2. Wind of Change 2

Chapter 2

The shared sleeping arrangement mostly kept Bodhi’s nightmares at bay, or else he was just too tired for them to penetrate his sleep. Even so, judging by the dark circles under Jyn’s eyes, she hadn’t been so fortunate. He hadn’t heard her, and she hadn’t wakened him for company, but it was evident she had not slept the night through.

They were stowing his bedding out of the way to clear a path on the floor when a knock sounded at the door. Jyn gestured for him to open it since he was nearest, and they found Baze and Chirrut smiling at them. There was no evidence of surprise from either at finding the two together, and Bodhi was glad not to have to explain his presence in her room.

Jyn’s clothes had dried during the night and a check found that his had also, so both changed back to their usual attire in order to keep the other clothes clean for sleeping. As he donned his uniform, Bodhi ran a hand down the front of it. He was almost tempted to just stay in the rebellion-provided clothing. This outfit made him stand out for his Imperial roots.

No. He shook his head. He was being foolish. He could do this.

The mess hall was busier and more crowded, but the four of them managed to find an unoccupied table in an out-of-the-way corner to claim.

“Do..Do you suppose they’ll mind if we look around today?” he asked. “I mean, there isn’t really anything for us to do here. I’d be curious to see the place. If they’ll let us, I mean.”

Baze grunted neutrally, neither arguing for or against their chances or any interest he might have. Before anyone else could speak, a sergeant approached them.

“You want to join us?” he invited, but the man shook his head.

“Thanks, but I’ve already eaten. I just came to let Erso know that Mon Mothma put out the word to the Council and they’ll be arriving throughout the day. She’s figuring to have the meeting tomorrow at 0900 to discuss the Death Star and what information you all have found.”

Jyn nodded without comment and, after a moment, the sergeant moved away.

“I wonder why the Captain did not come tell us about this.”

Chirrut’s remark almost felt like he was hinting at something, though Bodhi didn’t know what it might be. “Well, he’s probably busy, isn’t he?” He wasn’t sure why he was making excuses for Cassian, but he suspected that question was in everyone’s thoughts. If anyone disagreed, they didn’t say so.

Allowed or not, Jyn didn’t bother to ask permission and they strolled at leisure. If the scowls and hostility seemed too great, Bodhi did try to quickly steer her away, not wanting any trouble. He couldn’t help it, but his favorite was the hangar and the collection of various fighter craft. He had studied for two years trying to score high enough for fighter training, but never managed it. It took a while after that to even get a shuttle license.

“You like them?”

Bodhi turned at the question, surprised to have anyone other than his friends speaking to him.

“Yeah. I didn’t make it as a TIE pilot. That’s why I was flying shuttles, but…” He sighed. Truth was, he didn’t stand out at anything. He was just one of many in the crowd.

The man stuck out his hand. “Wedge Antilles.”

Bodhi hesitantly shook it. “Yeah, I remember you from before. How’d you get stuck with us? You being punished for something?”

Wedge chuckled. “No, but I do know how you feel. I was in the Imperial Navy until I defected a few years ago. It does get easier.” He gestured around at others in the hangar. “They have to be wary. It’s too easy for someone to pretend defection so as to spy for the Empire. Eventually they’ll trust you, when they’ve had time to see that they can.”

“Then why aren’t you more wary? Just because you defected too doesn’t mean you can trust me.”

Wedge shrugged. “Captain Andor wasn’t concerned about you being spies. I trust his judgement.”

The others joined them then and Bodhi hastened to make introductions. The previous day they’d really only gotten the man’s name when Cassian had him show them to quarters, and then he’d been called away when that was accomplished.

Wedge eyed Jyn, apparently pegging her as the leader of their small group. “So, what’s with you all being here? Scuttlebutt is handing around a lot of ideas, most of which I doubt. I know they’ve called in the Council for a meeting so it must be something big.” He paused, then said, “Or are you not allowed to tell me?”

Jyn shrugged. “You’ll find out soon enough. The Empire’s built a weapon, a planet-killer – my father helped, unwillingly. But he rigged a weakness in it. We need to get the plans and destroy it.”

Wedge scowled down at the ground. “Kriff. They just keep thinking of new and better ways to kill people or make them suffer.” He met Jyn’s gaze. “It won’t count for much, but I’ll be on your side in the meeting. Just…they’re a lot of politicians. The Alliance’s military force will be represented, but most of the time the politicians pull the strings. You should know that going in. They’re going to fight you every step of the way.”

He didn’t say it, but Bodhi thought he was suggesting it was a fight they couldn’t win. He glanced at Jyn, but she had crossed her arms and looked her most defiant. Yeah, they might lose, but the politicians would know they were in a fight with her leading them.

“Come on,” Wedge told them, “I’ll show you around. It will make it easier for you if I’m flying escort.” He grinned ruefully.

“What is this place,” Baze asked. “It’s ancient.”

“It’s an old temple that was actually built by a Sith Lord and his Massassi warriors some five thousand years ago. There’s still a lot of debate about how they managed to do it without modern technology. We only set up base here about a year ago. What you see inside is all mostly new, but they tried to leave the exterior as it originally was. They also did some excavation down to put in more hangar space.” He gazed around him, then added, “It’s pretty amazing what they accomplished in so short a time, but the Empire doesn’t give us much breathing room to do things at a slower pace.”

“How’d they come to choose here?” Jyn asked, more for the sake of conversation than any apparent interest in history. Bodhi suspected her present was far too intense for her to spend time dwelling on the past.

“Because it’s not on official Imperial maps. I’m sure that played a big part in the choice.”

“Yo, Wedge!”

The pilot turned toward the voice, seeming to recognize it. A man in grease-stained clothing was waving him over. “Would you excuse me for a minute. He’s working on my ship – I better find out what he wants.”

There were murmurs of agreement as Wedge moved away. “He seems nice enough,” Bodhi commented, glad to finally have found someone here who was.

Jyn turned toward Bodhi, but then stopped and stared past him. Before he could turn to see what had claimed her attention, Chirrut called out, “Good day to you, Captain Andor.”

Cassian was walking with two other people and he said something to them, before stepping away to come greet them. Whatever he’d said to his companions, they didn’t wait for him.

Bodhi could feel the tension wrapping around them as if they were being secured in bindings. He could almost wish Chirrut had kept silent and not drawn Cassian over to them. At length, the Captain asked, “You are all settled in, then?”

Jyn crossed her arms belligerently; clearly she wasn’t going to make this easy for him. Bodhi figured her desire to apologize was warring with affront at his seeming to avoid them.

“Yes, others have seen to our needs,” Jyn told him. The question of why he wasn’t the one to do it hung unspoken in the air.

Cassian’s face was unreadable. “Good. If you have any problems, ask someone to send for me.” He paused, then told them, “The Council has been summoned. A few are already here but the rest will trickle in throughout the day. Mon Mothma has set the meeting for tomorrow morning to…discuss the information we’ve gathered.” He looked at Jyn. “They’ll be expecting to hear from you, since you’re the one who actually heard your father’s message and could answer questions. The rest of us only know as much as you told us.”

“You think I didn’t tell you everything?”

He shook his head. “You probably did, essentially, but abbreviated. They may want more specific details, if you have them.”

Jyn looked away, mildly appeased by his answer.

“I know you don’t like waiting to act, Jyn, but nothing can be done until the Council discusses it and agrees on what action to take.”

“Because it isn’t obvious that what needs to happen is a strike force going to Scarif to get the plans?”

“It’s obvious to you, and even to some others, but you’ll still need to convince the Council. They control the funding and the supplies. Without their support, missions can easily flounder. That isn’t what you want.”

Jyn met his gaze with clenched jaw, but after a moment she relaxed and glanced down. “Anything else we need to do until then?”

“No. Take it easy, look around if you want.” He didn’t offer to join them, and at length he gave a nod and walked away.

He hadn’t gone far, when Jyn’s jaw tightened and she went after him. “Cassian!”

Even with the noise of the hangar, he heard her and turned back. She moved closer, avoiding his gaze. It took her a minute to figure out what to say. “I’m…I’m sorry for what I said after Eadu.”

He looked slightly past her, avoiding her eyes, but said mildly, “You meant it.”

“Yeah, I did. But I didn’t…know everything, take everything into account. Because of my anger, I was…too harsh.”

He sighed softly. “You had a right to be. When I learned more about your father’s message, I should have made more of an effort to make it known to my superiors. I shouldn’t have just kept going.”

She hesitantly reached out, finally gripping his forearm. “You didn’t keep going. That counts for something.”

The silence between them became awkward, so Jyn returned to her friends without further comment. Looking between the two of them, Bodhi couldn’t tell if their argument was resolved or not. He was glad that she had apologized, or at least apologized as much as he figured she ever did, but she and Cassian both were good at concealing their thoughts and feelings. The outcome of their talk was less than certain.

Luckily, Wedge rejoined them then, dispelling the tension in the air. He guided them on a tour of the base, ending at the mess hall shortly before the noon hour. “I should probably go check in. The repairs will be completed on my ship soon and I’ll want to flight check it. Maybe I’ll see you around later, though.”

Before he could leave, Jyn asked, “Are we allowed to use the training facility? I could do with a workout.”

“Sure. Shouldn’t be a problem.” He grinned. “If anyone argues, tell them Captain Andor approved it.” He departed chuckling.

While they were waiting in the food line, a man behind them kept making snide remarks to his companion, loud enough to be sure they’d hear him. Most of the remarks were centered around Bodhi, since his clothing clearly marked him with an Imperial connection. Bodhi tried to merely ignore the guy, though Jyn walking beside him was getting annoyed. Just as they reached the end of the line, she clanged her tray down and turned to the man. “Jyn, don’t…” he hissed, but was ignored.

“So,” she said, sizing up the fellow who had nearly a foot on her and at least seventy-five pounds, “I haven’t had the chance to spar with anyone in quite a while. You interested in being my partner after we eat?”

There was something deceptively disarming about her question. Bodhi had never actually seen her fight anyone, but he couldn’t imagine anyone trained by Saw Gerrera would be unskilled. Their antagonist, however, clearly did not know of her history, and was less than impressed with the girl challenging him.

“Hardly worth my time,” he snorted.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll make it worth your time.” Jyn’s smile widened, and now the guy must have seen something in it that made him a little less certain.

Still, he was in the midst of a lot of his comrades, being challenged by this slip of a girl. Their mere presence on the base appeared to rub him the wrong way. Bodhi figured he would enjoy kicking a little butt to work off some of his irritaion. “Sure, why not.”

If he had expected Jyn to back down, he was mistaken. She just smiled more and picked up her tray. “I’ll look forward to it.”

The four of them found a table out of the way from everyone else and settled there. “You..you didn’t need to do that on my..my account, Jyn,” Bodhi insisted.

“On the contrary, Bodhi, I think she did it more for her own entertainment. The gentleman merely provided an appropriate excuse to target him.” Chirrut smiled benignly and began eating.

Bodhi glanced at the blind man and then the others, but no one explained Chirrut’s words. He supposed she wanted to let off some of her own frustration, and this was a way to do it, but he would hate to see her get hurt on his behalf.

“Jyn—”

“Save it, Bodhi. He wants an argument, then I’ll give him one. And get a workout in the bargain.”

“But he might…” It was probably tactless to suggest she would lose.

“Don’t worry, little brother. She can handle herself. That fellow won’t know what hit him.” Baze looked at him briefly, smiled slightly and then resumed eating.

“Relax, Bodhi. I’ll be fine. If you want to worry about someone, it probably should be him.” Jyn’s eyes were crinkled with repressed laughter. She really was enjoying this.

“Okay. Just..just be careful.”

Baze snorted. “You might need to tell her what that word means.”

Jyn now did laugh outright. “Are you suggesting I’m reckless?”

“I’m not ‘suggesting’ anything. Just stating facts,” he replied. “I’ve seen you fight – on Jedha. Unless you hold back, that’s going to be one brief sparring session. He’s got size on you, but little else. If I were a betting man, I could make a fortune on this scrap.”

“Maybe not this one. I’m not sure these rebels would take kindly to your cleaning out their pockets,” she advised. “Wait until next time.”

“Next time they won’t be caught by surprise,” he pointed out.

The two of them chuckled, and Bodhi reconciled himself to the idea that this fight was going to happen, whether he preferred it or not. He wondered if it was even about him anymore, or if it ever had been. With Jyn, he couldn’t be sure.

When they all had finished eating, Jyn stood and looked significantly over to where her opponent sat. Bodhi hadn’t noticed where he was in the room, but she didn’t even have to hunt for him. The man was eyeing her, but rose to meet the challenge without any hesitation.

As they moved down the hallways toward the training room, Jyn did some stretches and bends to warm up. “Can’t you do that once you get there?” Bodhi asked. He hoped it wasn’t a stupid question, but if this wasn’t an actual ‘fight’, he would expect them to behave in a civil manner. From the look of it, perhaps he had misjudged that.

“Maybe. When sparring, you usually can. In a real fight, you don’t get the chance – it just starts. I’m not going to assume the niceties will be observed. That fellow doesn’t strike me as the polite sort.”

Bodhi was both surprised, and a little alarmed, at how many people were following them, apparently intent on witnessing the match. “Are you sure about this?” he muttered to Jyn.

She reached over and grasped his forearm reassuringly. “Relax. This won’t take long and I’ll be fine. The hard part will be finding anyone else to take me on after they watch us fight.”

He wasn’t sure her words were as reassuring as she intended them to be, but there seemed to be no other recourse than to trust her. The training room held no formal stands where they could sit, but there were crates around the area, likely to store equipment, and Baze led them to one where they could all sit with a full view of the match. Everyone else, other than the participants, filed in and found spots on other crates or standing around the edges.

“What’s this?” a voice asked, and Bodhi glanced back apprehensively to see that sergeant from before – had Wedge called him Melshi? – standing behind them.

“Just a friendly sparring match,” Chirrut offered, humor evident in his voice.

“Friendly, huh?” For some reason that Bodhi didn’t understand, the man rubbed absently at his chest.

The man next to him commented, “If anyone would take my bet, I’d put 50 on Murtagh. That little girl doesn’t stand a chance.”

Bodhi stiffened and turned to look, just as Melshi smiled. “I’ll take that bet, Sefla. Call me a sucker for the underdogs.” There was something in the man’s face that suggested it was more than that, but his companion agreed to the bet.

“I’ll try not to hurt you too much, mess up your pretty face,” Murtagh sneered.

Jyn grinned. “Thanks. Very kind of you. I’ll try to return the favor.”

Murtagh’s brow knit, not sure how to take her words. Bodhi’s chest tightened as the start neared, and he had to force himself to breathe normally.

“Don’t worry, little brother,” Baze murmured again. “She’ll be fine. Trust me. He’s the one who’s in over his head.”

Without warning, it began. Murtagh launched himself at her, going for the ‘overwhelm with his size’ approach. Unfortunately for him, Jyn knew how to underwhelm with her size. She dropped low, swept her leg and and caught him behind the knees, throwing him off balance. Unable to check his momentum, he crashed to the mat.

Jyn danced away, accepting a roll of tape that someone held out and wrapping her hands while she watched him rise. Bodhi thought he looked angered by the fall – he would have expected him to be wary. Jyn still had a slight smile on her face. It was clear she still wasn’t worried about her opponent.

He lunged again, while she was still taping her hand, and tried to punch her in the face with his huge right fist. At the last moment, Jyn sidestepped, caught hold of his arm and again used his momentum against him. This time, however, he was ready and managed to stay on his feet. Jyn finished taping her hands and tossed the roll behind her, out of the fight area.

“You gonna fight or just duck and run?” the oaf snarled.

“Just letting you get warmed up is all.” She met his gaze evenly, unmoved by his growing irritation.

He rushed at her and managed to snag her in his arms, but with his greater height it meant he had to lean down to do it. As soon as his arms closed around her, she took her feet off the floor, giving him her full weight and it overbalanced him. As they fell, she somehow managed to get a foot up, plant it in his stomach and used her backward roll to propel him up and over her head. He slammed to the mat. A moment later, she had danced back to her feet, while he was trying to shake off the hard fall he had taken.

As he clambered to his feet, Jyn started moving. She reached him before he got off his knees and jabbed her elbow hard into his neck. When he howled and twisted away, she threw a kick into his side that toppled him once more.

Now the man’s face was filled with rage. “He’s going to kill her!” Bodhi exclaimed. “She’s really made him mad now.”

“Never fight when you are angry. Not unless you can channel that anger into force and determination.” Bodhi blinked at Chirrut’s words, not understanding what he meant.

“If you let anger control you,” Baze explained, “it will also blind you. Make you careless. He’s reached that point. This fight will be over soon – he’s already lost.”

Behind them Melshi said quietly, “I think we need you training our recruits.” After a pause, he added, “And her to kick their tails so they learn the lessons.”

Reluctantly, Bodhi decided to trust them. He knew nothing about fighting himself, but these men did. And Jyn didn’t strike him as someone willing to take a beating just because she was angry. If she was doing this, she must think she stood a chance.

Baze was right – a couple of minutes more and the man was on his back, one arm pinned beneath him and Jyn’s arm pressed against his throat.

“What’s going on here?”

That voice Bodhi did recognize. He swallowed hard as he turned to look at Cassian, but Melshi was already explaining. “Simple. I’m making an easy 50 credits, if you’ll stay out of it.”

Cassian pinched the bridge of his nose. “You wagered on Jyn?”

Melshi again made that rubbing motion on his chest and growled, “Damn right I did.”

For the first time since Bodhi had met him, he saw the faintest hint of a smile tweak at Cassian’s mouth. “I was never here.” With that he slipped into the crowd and Bodhi lost sight of him.

It was clear her opponent didn’t like it, but others were flooding onto the mat, congratulating Jyn, and discussing the match. Whether Murtagh thought so or not, the bout was over and everyone deemed Jyn the winner.

“Shoulda known better than to take one of your bets, Melsh. I forgot you only bet sure things.” Sefla handed over the credits and Melshi slipped them in his pocket with a smile. “She barely broke a sweat,” Sefla mumbled as he walked away.

“Tell Erso I owe her a drink.” With that, Melshi sauntered away also.

“I wonder how he knew,” Bodhi mused.

“Must have seen her fight before.” Baze shoved to his feet and went to join the others around Jyn.

She was unwrapping the tape from her hands, and Bodhi was curious who had given it to her. Everyone in the crowd had seemed antagonistic before the match. Then the crowd parted slightly and he glimpsed Wedge standing to the side, twirling the tape roll on his finger, and knew. Maybe there was a chance they could make friends here after all.

Bodhi and Chirrut sat quietly waiting for the crowd to thin and wander off. A small group remained around Jyn, asking questions, and she and Baze were giving instructions and demonstrations of a few techniques. He smiled ruefully. Maybe if there was time, he should get Jyn to teach him how to fight. Or at least defend himself somewhat. He was pretty sure his grandmother could beat him up; not that he’d ever fight back against her, but still.

“Enough fun for one day?” Chirrut asked, pulling Bodhi from his reverie to notice Baze and Jyn approaching.

She shrugged. “Just letting off a little excess energy is all. Baze is mad at me, though. I wouldn’t let him bet, but apparently someone else did and claimed the payout he had anticipated.”

“Baze is rich in other ways,” Chirrut said with a smile.

“Maybe, but credits in my pocket would still be nice.”

Chirrut hopped to his feet. “Well, since the mat is clear, perhaps I will do some exercises. Care to join me, Baze.”

The man snorted. “I’ll watch. Your exercises are too tame for me. I exercise more like Jyn does.”

“Suit yourself.”

While he took his place on the mat, Baze and Jyn settled beside Bodhi on the crate to watch. The guardian began making slow careful movements, with seemingly little force behind them.

After watching for several minutes, Bodhi asked, “Is this really considered exercise? He’s barely moving.”

Baze glanced at him. “We learned these movements in the Temple. You move slowly, precisely, fluidly. Breathing is an essential part of it. Proper breathing aids the circulation, eases stress, builds strength. You clear your mind of thoughts that weigh upon you. Then, once you have mastered the movements, they can be applied to fighting – the application of force in an optimum way.” He gestured to Jyn. “Little sister does some of it without realizing it. If I throw a punch and she tries to throw a punch to meet it, neither of us will achieve our goal. When her opponent lunged, she knew how to move and use her ‘pull’ to allow his force to do the work. She didn’t have to throw him to the ground – he did it himself. She just helped him in his effort.”

Bodhi wasn’t sure he understood all that, but murmured, “It’s…it’s almost…beautiful.” He flushed slightly at his wording, but it truly was.

“Yes.” Baze nodded. “It is meant to be, but it can also be deadly when sped up and used effectively. It is both soft and strong.”

Bodhi was going to have to take his word for it; he still didn’t entirely understand. Even so, he believed what Baze was telling him.

“You should have Chirrut teach this to you, Bodhi.”

He blinked at Jyn’s remark. “What? Why? So I can fight?”

She shook her head. “No. For that, you’d be better off if I showed you some things. I think this would take too long to master as a way to fight.” She hesitated, then said, “It might be soothing and aid in your sleep, if it does what Baze says it does.” She carefully didn’t look at him.

“Yes. This, and meditation – they would help. Just don’t get Chirrut started talking about them unless you really want to learn. Once you get him going, he won’t stop.”

Bodhi and Jyn chuckled at that.

Chirrut carried on for another half hour before finishing and returning to join them. “What should we do now?” Bodhi asked, glancing at the chron on the wall.

“I’m thinking a nap before supper,” Baze grumped.

No one argued with the suggestion, so they all filed off toward their quarters. “I need a shower,” Jyn announced, to no one in particular. “The sweat dried, mostly, but this planet doesn’t completely let it dissipate.”

“Uh, why don’t you do that and I’m going to see if I can find a sabacc deck. We could play some tonight, to pass the time. If you want.”

“Not Chirrut,” Baze insisted. “He cheats.” Chirrut grinned broadly, but did not deny the accusation.

“Uh, right. Anyway, see you all in a little while.” He glanced quickly at Jyn and then away, not sure how it would work with his mattress on her floor.

“I’ll come find you after my shower,” she suggested, and he let out a breath of relief.

“Okay. Yeah.”

xx

To Bodhi’s surprise, several people were friendly after Jyn’s ‘spar’ with one of their own. He wasn’t sure why that should have made a difference, but not everyone was glaring at him. It didn’t take very long to track down a sabacc deck. If there was anything in his life that he was good at, it was sabacc. He didn’t win all the time, but it was often enough that he usually walked away with full pockets. Not that he intended to try to take money from his friends, but it would be something they could use to entertain themselves.

Once he had procured the deck, he spent more time in the hangar, admiring the fighters, and that was where Jyn found him. He wasn’t really interested in taking a nap, so when Jyn suggested they take a walk outside, he agreed.

“It’s so different here from Jedha,” he observed. “As you know, I guess. I never really spent much time anywhere other than Jedha or Imperial facilities where I flew. But I didn’t get to do much looking around on other planets, so I mostly just saw what was outside my shuttle viewscreen.”

When she didn’t respond, he said, “You’ve travelled to a lot of places, haven’t you?”

“Yeah.” She hunched her shoulders. “Sometimes it was best not to stay in one place too long. And sometimes it was necessary to stay on the move in order to make a living.”

“How did you do that? Or…do I not want to know?”

She grinned and then shrugged. “I did a little of a lot of things, but they included smuggling and forging codes for ships. If things got too dangerous with local police or the Imps, I moved on.”

It saddened him to hear her speak of it so matter-of-factly. And it sounded like a lonely existence. Little wonder she had become aggressive and prickly, between her time with Saw and on her own. Even if she wasn’t actually his sister, he hated thinking of her – or anyone else, for that matter – having to live that way.

Maybe she sensed the direction his thoughts had taken. “It wasn’t all bad, though, Bodhi. I did get to see a lot of different places and meet a lot of different people.”

“If you could go back to any of the planets or cities you’ve seen, which one would you choose?”

She considered only briefly. “Probably Takodana. It’s so green there. I mean, yeah, this jungle is green, but it’s…different. A lushness, with grass and blue sky and equally blue lakes. And quiet, you know? Peaceful. There’s a place there, Maz Kanata’s castle. It’s owned and run by Maz, an old pirate who’s been around forever. The place is neutral and everyone is welcome, and Maz strictly enforces her policy of no violence. I mean, yeah, there were smugglers and all sorts there, but everyone followed Maz’s rules. While I was there, I didn’t feel quite so much like I needed to keep looking over my shoulder.”

“Well, if you liked it so much, why didn’t you stay? It sounds really nice.”

She shrugged. “Partly it was that I got restless, but also I could tell the way some of the visitors there looked at me that they might have suspicions about me. They wouldn’t have done anything there and risked Maz’s wrath, but I guess all my time with Saw made me a little paranoid, too. I figured it was better to bolt than give them a chance to figure anything out and try to do something.”

While they talked, they had been following a footpath around the perimeter of the ziggurat’s base. By the time they finished the circuit, Bodhi was tired and hungry – it had been a longer walk than he had anticipated. “Want to get supper?”

“Sure,” Jyn agreed, leading the way since he still felt a little uncertain about getting around.

They had gotten food and only been seated some five minutes when Baze and Chirrut joined them. After they finished, they adjourned to Jyn’s room, where they pulled her mattress onto the floor also, spread the blankets on top of them and settled down to play cards. As there were only four of them, they let Chirrut play, despite Baze’s warning from earlier. They whiled away several hours talking and playing sabacc.

Part of the conversation centered on satisfying Bodhi’s curiosity about the guardians. Being a Jedhan, he knew of the Temple there and the role they had played. What he didn’t know was how they had come to be with Jyn and Cassian when they rescued him from Saw’s prison.

One thing was certain – Chirrut did cheat at cards. Baze had been right about that. Bodhi still hadn’t figured out how he did it, but the blind man won an inordinate number of games for it merely to be luck. Those he did lose, Bodhi suspected he did so on purpose. Someone had to sit out a hand to tell Chirrut what his cards were, but Bodhi couldn’t attribute his wins to that partner – they had taken turns doing it. Even when he was the one sitting with Chirrut, he couldn’t spot how exactly the man just knew what to play and when. It would be useful if he could learn that, though if it was in fact cheating, it might also be dangerous.

Eventually, they were talked out and too tired to play sabacc any longer. The guardians took themselves off to their room while Bodhi helped Jyn get her mattress back on the bed. He glanced at the chrono on the wall. “I guess we should try to get some sleep. You’ve got that council meeting to attend in the morning.”

Jyn merely nodded, gazing pensively into space. Suddenly she glanced at him. “Will you go with me?”

“Me? Why? They aren’t going to listen to anything I might say. And I didn’t see your father’s message.”

She shrugged. “Moral support?” She didn’t look directly at him when she said it, and he was surprised to realize that maybe she was a little embarrassed by her request.

“Sure. Of course. If I can help, I’ll be there.” If it helped her, he figured he could go and stand silently beside her. It was the least he could do after all she had done for him.

When she got up to change into her night clothes, he took himself off to his room to change also before rejoining her a few minutes later. Once the light was out, he could no longer see her in the darkness, even though he was facing in her direction. He just hoped she could get some sleep. She was probably going to need all her strength for tomorrow.

xx

The night passed relatively peacefully. Bodhi did jolt awake once, from a dream that included Saw and Bor Gullet, but perhaps due to Jyn’s presence nearby making him feel safe, after just a moment the specifics were fading away. He was able to calm his breathing, use the ‘fresher, and get back to sleep within a quarter of an hour. Even better, in the morning, Jyn looked more rested, as though she had managed to sleep through most of the night.

Still, her tenseness was almost tangible. Unsure how to ease her nerves about the upcoming meeting, he settled for light, general, innocuous conversation. He didn’t know how much it helped, but she had looked at him and smiled a time or two, as though she knew what he was doing and appreciated it.

While he wasn’t surprised that Baze and Chirrut declined attending the meeting, if they could even gain entry, he had sort of thought to see Cassian there. It was possible he was hidden among the large group gathered, but if so, Bodhi didn’t see him. He had seen Jyn look around when they first arrived, and she appeared a little disappointed also. He assumed it was due to Cassian’s absence, though he couldn’t be certain of that.

The room was far more crowded than he had expected; stuffed, in fact, so that moving around was difficult. Wedge had mentioned there were rumors flying around. It appeared a lot of people wanted to find out what was actually going on. He could deal with the techs and pilots and soldiers, but all the dignitaries and generals were more intimidating. He couldn’t imagine how Jyn had the nerve to face them and even speak. He moved slightly closer behind her, either to reassure her or himself. More likely the latter.

A woman in a long white robe stepped forward to conduct the meeting. “Mon Mothma,” Jyn whispered to him, “a former Senator.”

When it didn’t seem the room could hold any more people, Mon Mothma began and Jyn shared the information brought from her father. To his astonishment, instead of jumping on this to act quickly to obtain the plans, they were talking of disbanding! Scattering the fleet! Were they insane? Didn’t they hear what she was telling them? They had one chance – a chance Galen had given them and lost his life making sure they knew about – and instead they wanted to retreat and give up.

There were a few who were listening. Admiral Raddus staunchly agreed with Jyn and the need to act immediately, and a few other voices seconded that opinion. But in the end, the cowardly Council members held the control and made the decisions.

“I'm sorry, Jyn. Without the full support of the Council, the odds are too great.” Despite her words, Bodhi thought Mon Mothma truly regretted the failure to act. She could not make the decision alone, but he felt certain she was on their side in this.

He had seen Jyn get angry before, with Cassian as they left Eadu, but now she kept silent, turning and hurrying from the room. He hastened to follow her, pushing through the crowd on her heels. As they came out into the hangar area, he stayed close, wanting to be there for her, but not approaching since he could think of nothing to say that would help.

Bodhi was seething inside, and it was not an emotion he was intimately familiar with. Granted, he had never had much regard for fancy, important people, but the military leaders and politicians he’d just left were the worst. How could they ignore Jyn, not believe her? Did they really want to lie down and do nothing after what happened on Jedha? Did they really believe that would somehow save them? The Empire would crush anyone it chose, on a mere whim. They were fools.

To his surprise, Chirrut and Baze were waiting near where they exited. They hadn’t talked about meeting up anywhere after the meeting, so he wasn’t sure how the guardians had known which of the several exits they would come out.

“You don’t look happy,” Baze called as they came into view.

“They prefer to surrender,” Jyn sneered.

“And you?” Baze asked.

Chirrut answered for her. “She wants to fight.”

“So do I. We all do.” Bodhi’s words were firm, determined.

Chirrut’s assertion that the Force was strong didn’t exactly impress Jyn. “I'm not sure four of us is quite enough.” Bodhi had to agree with her. He knew the strength of the Empire.

“How many do we need?” Baze asked, an unexpected question.

“What are you talking about?” Jyn replied, and the big man gestured behind her.

As she turned, Bodhi noticed a large group of soldiers gathered behind Cassian and slowly approaching. Despite her apology yesterday, he knew they weren’t fully reconciled.

“They were never gonna believe you.”

As Bodhi anticipated, Jyn didn’t much like his remark. “I appreciate the support.”

“But I do. I believe you. We'd like to volunteer. Some of us...most of us, we've done terrible things on behalf of the Rebellion. Spies. Saboteurs. Assassins. Everything I did, I did for the Rebellion. And every time I walked away from something I wanted to forget I told myself it was for a cause that I believed in. A cause that was worth it. Without that, we're lost. Everything we've done would have been for nothing. I couldn't face myself if I gave up now. None of us could.”

He was as stunned by this development as Jyn obviously was. But he had always believed there was more to Cassian than met the eye. When she just kept standing there staring at Cassian, overwhelmed, he decided maybe a nudge would be of use.

“It won't be comfortable. It’d be a bit cramped, but we’d all fit. We could go.”

That seemed to be the impetus to get things started. Jyn turned and gave him a nod to get moving, and he set off for the Imperial shuttle they had come in to make preparations.

He had never been a hero. He didn’t stand out in any way. He’d even failed to make it as a fighter pilot, and scraped by to become a shuttle pilot. Probably a mediocre one at that. But he was tired of running and hiding and letting everyone else bully him. He was no hero, but he refused to be a coward any longer. If Jyn wanted to fight, he would stand beside her. Perhaps he’d be the first to fall, the weak link, but he’d give it everything he had. For Jedha. For Galen and Jyn. For himself.

1/31/18 – 4/14/18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Chirrut’s exercises are essentially Tai Chi.


End file.
